


Simply Afflicted, [Difficultly Recovered]

by Chrisii



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Collapsed lung, Epic Bromance, Epic Friendship, Feels, Fever, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nakama, Nakamaship, Nightmares, Unconsciousness, stabbed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 13:16:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20836082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrisii/pseuds/Chrisii
Summary: In which a battle with the marines leaves the Heart pirates battling for their captain's life.In other words; In which Law suffers from a collapsed lung and his nakama nurse him back to health, all the while trying to see past the fact that their captain might not make it.





	Simply Afflicted, [Difficultly Recovered]

**Author's Note:**

> SET PRE-JEAN BART

* * *

Sailing above sea level invited skirmishes, but they couldn’t exactly live beneath the water all the time. All of them needed fresh air, especially Bepo.

Penguin and Shachi were arguing that Law was the one to need it most this time – they weren’t liking his pallor, they said. Honestly, it was like he was about to keel over. A couple of weeks inside a metallic submarine was bound to make anyone pale, but there was no convincing them.

Besides, they weren’t exactly a weak crew – Law knew that they could handle themselves against their enemies, and they could always attempt to retreat if their opponents were gaining the upper hand.

However, this time there was no retreating and probably no winning either. Law’s stamina was dwindling dangerously and he was avoiding his rooms as much as he could; the blue domes flickered if he left them up for more than a couple of seconds at a time without focusing exclusively on them, and he didn’t want the marines to exploit his weakness.

For now, he was just trying to keep an eye on his crewmates while cutting through the marines that were attempting to subdue him.

Stab.

Parry.

Attack.

It sounded way easier than it actually was, and he realised a bit too late that the marines were isolating him from the rest of the Heart pirates.

His realisation was followed by Bepo’s growl as the bear noticed the unusual distance between them, but Law had no time to figure out what to do about it.

He was just a tiny bit distracted by the sudden white blinding pain that ignited his whole side like a firecracker had just exploded within him. The sword pinning his whole body against the mast stopped him from collapsing to the deck, but his own semi-dead weight forced the sharp edge of the blade to cut further upwards as gravity dragged him downwards.

It would slice his heart in two.

He could feel his skin opening inch by inch as kicks rained down on his stomach and knees, thwarting his attempts to hold his own weight and prevent further damage. He would have laughed if he had the breath to do so – was he honestly going to die pinned to his own mast like some broken doll? His own sword lay by his feet, tantalizingly close and yet too far to be of real help. Its vibrations could be felt – it was unhappy by the way her master was being treated but helpless to do anything unless it was wielded.

A particularly vicious kick triggered a coughing fit that made Law lose what remained of his sight as his chest threatened to collapse on itself and completely cease to function. The sword jittered teasingly, bringing a fresh batch of tears to his eyes as his lung was torn apart – he held no illusion that he could escape from this unscathed. The finer points of his own injury escaped him as he tried to focus solely on drawing air, but the notion seemed to be surreal in its accomplishment. Was it always this difficult?

He could feel the blood clog his throat and dribble down his chin – the sensation made him nauseous. He didn’t have the energy to throw up but his stomach churned anyway, threatening to send him careening into oblivion with the slightest trigger.

Oblivion would probably be better at this point.

* * *

Bepo’s growl was enough to attract the attention of most of the crew – the bear only growled so ferociously when Law was in trouble. It was a chilling sound and one that the crew both detested and trained for.

Penguin smoothly dispatched of his current opponent before tapping into his observational Haki to track his captain’s position – the considerably weak energy that he sensed made his breath stutter in his chest.

It took all of them a few seconds to realise that all the marines were abandoning ship, running back to their own vessel with a certain glee that didn’t usually accompany such a retreat.

The sound that Bepo emitted, something between a growl and a whine, served to dispel Penguin’s thoughts and return his attention to the crew. He almost wished it hadn’t when he caught sight of his captain.

Law was utterly colourless; the bright crimson dripping from _everywhere_ only seemed to accentuate the greyness of his skin. He hung limply off the sword, only kept semi-upright by Shachi’s support on the other side. For a split second, Penguin feared the worst. The faintest stutter of Law’s torn chest helped him to breathe again.

Then, Shachi was beckoning him forward and begging him to pull the sword free – they couldn’t help him otherwise.

“Pulling it free will most likely kill him, Shachi.” Penguin protested, ignoring the blood that coated Law’s chin and throat in order to feel his pulse for himself. It was barely there.

“He’ll die like this anyway, at least we’ll be able to try and help him.” Ikkaku pointed out from Law’s other side. She was pulling Law’s eyelids backwards, trying to see if he was somewhat still with them. The milky whiteness easily told them that Law was beyond any type of feeling.

“We have to try, Penguin. We can’t pull it free from the mast without shifting it inside him – it’s better to completely remove it.” Bepo was suddenly there, one paw resting on Penguin’s shoulder and the other on the hilt of the sword.

“I’ll do it. Bepo, be ready to catch him. Everybody else; go to the infirmary – find the units of blood and prepare antibiotics, sedatives, the vent, and painkillers. Get out the sterile tools. Get us out of this area as well.” Penguin wrapped his own hand around the hilt, swallowing heavily to quench his own nausea. Law didn’t react in the slightest. His head lolled lifelessly against his own chest, dark hair hiding his features from view (his hat was somewhere on the deck, but someone else would pick it up).

“Okay, here we go.” The squelch of the blade cut through the air sharper than any one of Law’s rooms, and the man in question simply folded on himself, not collapsing heavily on the deck only due to Shachi’s support and Bepo’s prompt intervention – their captain was dwarfed in the polar bear’s arms, especially given the limp way in which he hung.

The blood trail left behind would haunt Penguin’s nights for months afterwards. 

But for now, he just forced himself to ignore all sentiments and focus on the pragmatics – Law was dying, and he was damned if he was going to let it happen.

* * *

They lost him once on the table.

The sensation of massaging Law’s heart with his own hand as he attempted to coax back its rhythm was something that Penguin would definitely never forget. Feeling it beat again against his hand had almost made his own legs give out, but he knew that he couldn’t shut down just yet. He also knew that he would never take kindly again to Law taking his own heart out – Penguin would be happy if he never saw or felt the beating organ again.

They closed him up soon after getting him back.

They lost him again an hour after they put him in a bed, and Penguin still couldn’t get his limbs to remain still – the water nearly spilt from the glass when he attempted to drink something. The shrillness of the monitors was still echoing in the corridors of his mind, chasing after each other in the vain attempt of quieting down. 

Now Law was simply unconscious, utterly senseless and lost to the world as he floated in oblivion. Penguin had no doubt that he’d remain floating for a while. 

He allowed his roaming hands to travel methodically down Law’s body, making sure that all IVs, bandages, tubes, and other apparatus were attached correctly. The bandages going around his chest were stark against his tanned skin, but Penguin was happy to see that they were secure.

Once he had nothing left to check, he collapsed on the chair next to the bed and remained there, staring at the husk of his captain.

Law’s chest fell and rose mechanically, but there was no other sign of life.

* * *

None of them had been naïve enough to believe that Law would avoid an infection – the blade had been covered in rust. Still, having to sedate and restrain him so he does not tear out everything that was keeping him alive weighed heavily on their conscience. Once the restraints came out, Penguin denied everybody access except for him, Shachi, and Bepo– Law did not need (or want) everybody to see him in such a state. Or to see the faint white patches that were emerging again.

His whimpers were choked off by the vent, but his writhing was still enough to drive daggers in their own lungs. Penguin and Shachi had taken it upon themselves to massage Law’s jaw, attempting to ease the discomfort caused by the vent. Bepo could often be found either wiping him down with a wet cloth or cuddling close to him; his familiar weight undeniably soothing to their captain.

Meanwhile, a steady drip of blood, antibiotics, and painkillers remained.

* * *

On the third day of the fever, Penguin wanted to throttle the marine who had done this. Law’s temperature was hovering dangerously near the 104 mark and the surgeon was nearly catatonic in moments and horribly restless the next. His eyelids fluttered every now and then, only to reveal grey eyes riddled with delirium and so much fear that it made the situation even more surreal – seeing their captain afraid was something that rarely happened. When it did, he was usually scared _for_ his crew, not _of_ his crew.

“We need to give him an ice bath,” Penguin claimed as he pulled away the top sheet.

“Detaching him from everything would kill him, Pen. He’s not strong enough yet.” Shachi replied as he wiped down Law’s face once again. They all ignored the flinch that followed as Law attempted to evade their ministrations.

“He’s not strong enough to fight this fever either.” Penguin bit out as he loosened the restraints, making sure that Bepo was ready to subdue their captain should he start thrashing again.

“We dump ice on him here. I’ll go fetch everything we have. Remove the sheets and put him on the table. It’s the same thing we did when you were sick one time.” Shachi didn’t even give Penguin a chance to object before hightailing it out of the infirmary.

Carrying Law to the table took considerably more effort than usually required because Penguin only felt safe to detach the IVs and the cardiac leads. The vent and the chest tube remained. Goosebumps erupted all over Law’s flesh once his bare back touched the cold metal and Penguin almost felt bad as he removed the fleece pants that they had dressed Law in, ignoring the harsh shivers that gave the impression of their captain having a seizure.

Penguin had barely managed to remove the sheets from the bed when Shachi got back with an armful of freezing packs, most of which he dumped on Law. Their captain promptly attempted to twist away, but both the pain and Bepo stopped him before he could dislodge the vent or the tube. Penguin couldn’t find it in himself to regret his actions as he strategically placed the packs on Law’s pulse points, all the while uttering comforting nonsenses in an attempt to placate his captain.

The only regret Penguin had was not preparing the kairoseki cuffs from before. Law’s eyes flew open, completely blind to the world around him, the moment that his brain registered that he was trapped. The blue dome shimmered dangerously around them, startling them enough into letting go of their captain just in time for a surge of electricity to go through the table. Penguin and Shachi didn’t even have time to react; the dome flickered out of existence as Law’s eyes fluttered close, exhaustion triumphing over his survival instinct and sweat covering nearly every inch of him. Despite the sudden slump, his fingers still twitched hazardously and Penguin didn’t attempt to touch him.

“Bepo?”

“That wasn’t my electro.” The polar bear murmured, his paws still sitting idly on Law’s shoulder.

Mesmerisation still had Penguin frozen to the spot when Shachi snapped the cuffs on Law’s wrists and then rearranged the icepacks, all the while murmuring soothing nonsense. Penguin could only find it in himself to inch small wads of bandages beneath the cuffs, hoping that it would be enough to avoid bloodied wrists. After all, the kairoseki was a thicker metal than most and it would only take a few tugs to split the skin.

Somehow, it didn’t take long for Law to calm down. Had the vent not been forcibly regulating Law’s breathing, Penguin would have watched as it deepened and evened out. However, there was no change in that regard. Instead, Penguin watched as the lines on Law’s forehead smoothed over; his brows relaxed and the frown eased, completely dissipating as he slipped back into a restful sleep.

“If his temperature doesn’t lower after this-”

“It will. We need to remove the chest tube tomorrow and see how he does without the vent,” Shachi him off. “Otherwise he’ll risk having to battle pneumonia too. I don’t think he has enough stamina to spare.”

“He won’t survive pneumonia. He already reeks of sickness.” Bepo commented, his nose twitching slightly.

“If his fever lowers by tomorrow, he’ll supposedly be somewhat in the clear. But Law can never do things by half, can he?” Penguin sighed as he gently peeled back the bandages on Law’s chest, grimacing at the angry skin before gently cleaning it with a disinfected pad and covering it back up again. The wound was undoubtedly going to scar, but hopefully it would be somewhat covered by the tattoos.

At this point, Penguin would just be glad if his captain was complaining about scars.

* * *

His fever miraculously broke the next afternoon. Bepo had taken it upon himself to wipe away the sweat from Law’s face and chest while Shachi removed the cuffs and the chest tube, making sure to clean the wound before stitching and covering it with a small pad. Bepo gently scooped Law in his arms, letting him unconsciously cuddle against his fur until Shachi changed the bedsheets and slid a pair of pyjama pants on Law, preserving what he could of his dignity lest he woke up.

Penguin spluttered awake in the corner of the infirmary – he hadn’t left it ever since the fever reared its ugly head– and immediately sought Law, relieved to see him appear so calm. He frowned slightly at the light bruising left behind by both the cuffs and the restraints, but didn’t do anything except for gingerly rub the tender skin. 

At least Law’s skin was regaining its usual tan – the first two days had left him nearly translucent. That is, if one didn’t pay attention to the bruising beneath his eyes; the usual shadows had darkened and purpled, giving off the impression of twin black eyes that made their captain appear even worse off than he actually was.

“Hey Pen, you want to help me wean him off the vent?” Shachi eased the pillow from beneath Law’s head, making sure that he was lying totally flat on his back. Penguin didn’t even respond; he just took his position on the other side of the bed and frowned at the readings on the screens behind Law. Everything was holding steady for now.

“Bepo, hold him.” The bear obediently stepped forward, one large paw resting on the captain’s chest while the other grabbed Law’s wrists and held them together against the doctor’s stomach. Shachi took a deep breath, trying to steady himself for what came next, and let it out slowly as he detached the pipe from the machine.

Three seconds passed in absolute stillness.

The stats started dropping and Penguin was already grabbing another intubation kit. 

Sweat broke out on Shachi’s forehead.

Law’s chest rose on its own volition, even if the breath was slightly shallow.

“He’s breathing on his own – we’ll leave him with the mask.” Penguin declared, a tired smile breaking over his features; it was the first smile to reach his eyes in days.

“Okay, let’s do this.”

* * *

There were hands everywhere. On his chest. On his hands. On his face. Wasn’t it commonly known among his crew that he disliked such close contact? Proximity meant exposure. Exposure meant that people got to know his secrets – secrets that he had held on for years.

Some people knew. Didn’t mean everyone had to.

He wanted them to let go. He didn’t want to feel so restrained. What was around his legs? A sheet? It felt loose but restricting and Law was ever so perplexed. Where was he? The mattress beneath his back felt familiar enough – probably not on an enemy ship. His own ship? Not his bed.

Who was holding his mouth open? Were they about to play a practical joke on him again? There were some distorted voices in the background and a hand rested on his forehead – it was a familiar weight. Comforting.

Law forced himself to calm and inhale deeply, but there was something in the way and his throat convulsed, throwing him into painful hackings that ignited a bonfire across his nerves. The fire spread through veins and arteries, going as deep as the marrow in his bones before starting to taper out slowly.

Someone raised his head and Law almost managed to object before water was dribbling into his mouth, soothing his sore throat and managing to somewhat revive him. However, he wasn’t given nearly enough before he was laid back down on a pillow.

Something was put over his face and any semblance of calm disappeared.

There was a hubbub of external activity that responded to his inner panic and Law found himself fighting against the numerous hands again – they were no longer calm or comforting. They were claustrophobic and he couldn’t possibly fight them all. Not in his current state at least.

His eyes shot open the second that his arms and legs were completely pinned against the bed and the sudden light blinded him entirely.

“LAW – US.” Someone was shouting. Why were they yelling? Wasn’t he in the same room as them?

“It’s just Penguin and Shachi, cap. The mask is just to help you breathe.” Another person spoke calmly and Law found himself latching to that voice as he blinked warily, attempting to orient himself.

There was the hand on his forehead again, but it wasn’t actually a hand. In fact, it was velvety smooth except for the sharp ends. Paws? Bepo.

Familiar shelves. Metal walls. The hum of the engine all around him. The infirmary.

Safe.

“Law?” Law managed to focus his attention on the person by his side and wondered whether he’d managed a smile or a grimace when he saw Penguin. He looked almost as shitty as Law felt. Scratch that – there was no way Penguin appeared that shitty.

“You with us?”

His whole body ached and suddenly some of the puzzle pieces slotted into place as he caught sight of the needles in his hands and registered the fact that he was the one being taken care of.

Their comfort was welcomed for now.

“How long?” He swallowed uselessly against the dryness in his throat and a small cough slipped out, enough to make his whole world white out as his chest protested the rough handling. He’d have to ask about that.

Given he’d wake up again.

Oblivion was too tantalizing at the moment, and Law allowed himself to fall into its open arms without any kind of complaint.

And then there was silence again.

* * *

Next time, there was no one restraining him. The mask was still on his face and Law shook his head weakly, attempting to dislodge it. Someone grabbed his chin, preventing the movement before retreating again.

“Law?”

He hummed in response before opening his eyes, squinting for a moment to recognize his current visitor. Penguin. He was alone.

“You awake this time?” The mask was pulled back and a straw pushed at his lips, finding no resistance as Law eagerly sipped at the liquid and then licked his lips, soothing it before cracks formed. The mask was placed on his face again and he carefully breathed before speaking.

“This time?” Law blinked curiously, focusing on keeping his breathing regulated while Penguin took his pulse.

“You’ve been in and out for a day. We thought your fever was rising again, but it was just you catching up on sleep.” Law barely registered the freezing bell of the stethoscope on his chest, but his lungs protested harshly when Penguin bid him to breathe as deeply as he could.

“A day?”

Bepo was sleeping in the corner of the room; a patch of white against the stark greyness.

“Oh no, you’ve been completely out for nearly a week. We thought you were gone on the fourth day – a fever almost baked your brain. You wouldn’t wake up or respond to anything.”

There was a dam of terror behind the carefully constructed clinical tone, and Law winced at the forced detachment. He clearly remembered the sword pinning him to the mast, but anything that happened after was only made up of disjointed sensations in his memory. Hands. Needles. Heat. Cold. A cacophony of sounds and deafening silence. As far as Law was concerned, this was the only time that he was actually managing to remain somewhat awake instead of just grasp a few tendrils of some conversation before sleeping again.

“What happened?”

“Your lung collapsed. We barely repaired it as it is – you were a bit too keen on dying. You should be fine with rest and exercise; don’t breathe too shallowly. You barely survived a fever, and you definitely won’t fight back pneumonia. Your patches were back for a day and a half, but they faded away again.”

Was there anger there? Law couldn’t bring himself to phantom as to where it was actually directed. At him for almost dying? At Penguin himself for any other reason? It was eerie to hear his friend sound so emotionless; that was usually Law’s forte. Huh, he could see why they hated it now. He couldn’t get a read whatsoever on Penguin’s current state.

And then it clicked. Penguin was still operating on sheer necessity.

“Penguin.”

“What?” The curious tone of a physician, ready to aid and heal. Nothing more.

“Step down.”

“I can’t.” There was the first hint of a tremor, carefully hidden behind the staccato words.

“You can. You need a break too.” Law forced his tone to remain gentle, belying his own tiredness, and something seemed to work. Penguin collapsed heavily near Law’s uninjured side and the captain grasped his wrist – in part to measure his pulse, and in part to offer what semblance of comfort he could.

“You were dead.” The whispered words seemed to echo around the infirmary, forcing out every other sound and separating the air particles, replacing them instead with a thick blanket that was not in the slightest bit comforting. “I held your heart in my hands, and it wasn’t beating.”

Penguin completely shut down then. Law barely managed to push himself in a sitting position before his _friend_ shuddered, the full force of his sobs being enough to rattle the bed. Law took a couple of breaths, pushing the pain to the side before removing his mask. He couldn’t focus on the fire that threatened to split his side or the ice that was attempting to claw its way from inside his lungs.

No. His focus was completely centred on the trembling mess in his arms; Penguin sobbed into his neck as the shock finally caught up with him, and Law couldn’t bring himself to mind the snot and tears that tickled his shoulder. Honestly, he was surprised that it had taken Penguin so long – how had Shachi not forced him to rest? Half of this belated reaction was sheer exhaustion.

Law held on until the sobs tapered out, leaving behind hitched breathing and the occasional sniffle. While he loosened his hold, he didn’t push Penguin away and his crewmate sought comfort for as long as he could, seemingly breathing in Law’s life force. The sobbing had truly done him in though, and Law could feel him getting heavier and heavier, which wasn’t boding well for him.

Despite what he knew was a steady stream of painkillers, someone else’s weight on a recently collapsed lung was highly unrecommended and thoroughly taxing. However, he couldn’t bring himself to push Penguin away, not when he was seeking out the much-needed comfort.

Turns out, he didn’t have to do anything. Shachi entered the infirmary quietly, but he perked up upon noticing that Law was awake, and immediately frowned when he caught sight of Penguin.

“I think he cried himself to sleep.” Bepo whispered from the side before gently easing Penguin off of Law and scooping him in his arms. Penguin hung limply, chest falling and rising gently as his fatigue finally made itself known. Law was certain that he would sleep till the next morning at the very least.

“Law?” Shachi completely disregarded Penguin and instead hurried over to his captain’s side, one hand wrapping around his wrist despite the monitor behind Law’s head showing him just how erratically his heart was beating. “You’re covered in cold sweat – I can’t up your dosage anymore.” Shachi was gently pushing him down again and Law couldn’t find it in him to resist as he melted into the pillows and accepted the oxygen mask (as if he had a choice in the matter).

“I’ll fix it myself later,” he managed to ground out after a bit. The pain was already dimming, but his eyes were drooping and Law knew that it wouldn’t be long before he fell asleep again – he didn’t need anyone to tell him that this had been a close call. He could feel it in his bones that things had been way off.

He knew that he had doubted his own recovery at times too.

“You need to eat something; you’re not going to get your energy back otherwise,” Shachi claimed. Law thought he nodded, but he couldn’t be sure.

He was only sure of the hand on his forehead, resting there for a mere moment before retreating. Its comfortable warmth remained there long after he fell into sleep’s embrace.

* * *

Penguin was still asleep when Law woke up again, but at least now he was curled up under a blanket. Bepo was lying on the ground next to Law’s bed, but he clambered into a standing position upon realizing that Law had woken up – had he been listening to his breathing? It wouldn’t be a first time, especially given the location of his injury.

“Captain?” His voice was as meek as ever, and Law could hear the worry underneath.

“Hey, Bepo.” He smiled at the polar bear, reaching out a hand to pet the fur on his cheek before letting his arm fall again.

“You need to eat.” A tray was gently placed on his thighs and Law knew he couldn’t refuse. Besides, how hard could it be to down a handful of crackers, toast, and some soup? After a week of nothing but water and IV nutrition, he was somewhat famished. And even if he wasn’t, he doubted that Shachi would let him use his devil fruit if he didn’t eat up first.

And drink. There was a pitcher of water next to him, with a scribbled note next to it – _DRINK IT ALL._

Bepo settled next to him, unsubtly forcing his captain to cuddle with him. It was a comforting warmth and Law leaned into it, resting against the solid wall of fur as he worked his way through the tray.

He was sipping at what remained of the soup when Ikkaku poked her head in, a grin lighting up her features when she saw him. The blatant concern, as opposed to their usually subtle displays of emotion, was honestly humorous - it had never occurred to him that his crew was capable of being straight forward with how they felt. He certainly couldn't be so.

“Captain! How are you?” She collapsed gracelessly on one of the chairs as she spoke.

“I’m fine, Ikkaku. You can tell the others to stop worrying too.” He raised an eyebrow as she attempted to look innocent, and she quickly abandoned the attempt.

“I don’t think they’ll stop worrying until they see you on your feet.” She claimed with a soft smile.

Law frowned slightly, but there was something in him that loosened – they honestly cared about him. They weren’t just following him because he ordered them around. Bepo subtly rubbed his back, cracking the wall of emotion that threatened to cave in on him.

“Probably not until the end of this week.” He shrugged, allowing her to take the bowl of soup from his hands and dump it on the table.

“If it were us, you’d have us restricted to bed rest for at least 2 weeks.” She chided him, but the words were spoken around a smothered laugh that told him he didn’t have to own up to that particular truth.

“My fruit helps me.”

“Shouldn’t you recover more before depleting your stamina with the fruit?”

“I’m fine, Ikkaku.” _Don’t push it._

“I’ll leave you be then. Be sure to drink!” She made her way out of the infirmary, curls bouncing behind her. Law heard her shout to the others that he was awake even after she moved away from the door.

* * *

“Room.”

The blue dome glimmered as it surrounded Law, its power bright and present – Penguin was paying particular attention to see that it didn’t shimmer because that usually meant that Law’s energy was waning. He knew without having to check that Shachi was also paying close attention to their captain, even if it fascinated them to see him taking his own lung out and fixing the severe damage with nothing but a few flicks of his fingers.

The ‘few flicks’ were enough to tire him out and Shachi swooped in the second that the dome lowered, catching his captain before he could collapse to the floor. (Neither of them had any idea why Law was stubborn enough to refuse to dismantle himself while sitting down.)

Shachi slipped his hands beneath Law’s shoulders just as Penguin grabbed his ankles, and together they deposited him on the bed. Given that Law was relatively light for his height, it wasn’t such a cumbersome task. However, he still fidgeted away from their ministrations, attempting to remove the mask from his face as hazy eyes fluttered weakly. Considering that he couldn’t even keep his head from lolling to the side, it was like restraining a new-born baby.

Penguin couldn’t help but wonder if Law was acknowledging how his chest was heaving even for the shallowest of breaths.

Shachi frowned as he considered fetching Bepo from the navigation room despite the fact they were currently going through a tricky current; the only thing that their captain was currently lacking was his usual cuddle buddy.

However, he didn’t seem to need him – Shachi felt the moment that Law’s feeble resistance ceased as he gave in to his body’s demands and fell asleep, but still waited until his breathing calmed to something akin to normalcy before switching out the mask for a nasal cannula.

“He just needs some more rest now.” Shachi pointed out as he pushed back Law’s hair, relishing in the coolness of his forehead.

“I know, but it still sucks to see him like this.” Penguin muttered as he tucked in the blankets around Law’s frame, making sure to not catch the wires that still monitored their captain’s heartbeat and temperature, along with several others that Law had been undoubtedly tempted to remove himself. Only subtle threats and tiredness had kept him from doing do.

Law’s chest rose and fell with its own volition, breaths deep and even and there.

* * *

Clione had baked a cake to celebrate, as Law realised once he managed to make it to the dining area under his own steam. He wouldn’t admit to anyone but Bepo that he had to sit down for a few moments after showering until the room stopped spinning, and that was only because Bepo had been in his room and witnessed everything.

He knew he needed more rest, but he also knew that he needed to reassure the whole crew that he was indeed on the mend. There was something about this that had petrified them greatly, and he didn’t blame them from the way that Penguin described the events leading up to his return to consciousness.

Honestly, he’d be terrified too if it had been any of them, especially if it was Penguin, Shachi, or Bepo. And he’d probably be forcing them to remain in bed for now, even if they’d be just as stubborn as him and also insist on going around the ship.

So he’d suck it up. Even if it means searching for any and all places to sit down most of the time, and simply watching his crew interact rather than join in the small party they had managed to put together in such a short amount of time.

Luckily, (or maybe strategically), Bepo had found himself right behind his captain, and the fluffy polar bear was all the captain needed as he found himself dropping off to sleep in the comforting hubbub of his crew.

They were all safe.

He let them think he remained asleep when Shachi gently lifted him up and deposited him in his own bed, where Penguin took his time with tucking the blankets around him and making sure he was comfortable.

Maybe relishing some comfort wasn’t really that bad… even if he had an image to keep up.

But in the privacy of his room, he could cherish their caring attitudes all he could, and he had no illusion that they didn’t know.

They were simply playing to his whims, like always.

* * *

(It was only a week later that they remembered to tell him about the small incident of him emitting electricity when unconscious, and Law ended up having to tell them about the new attack he was attempting to master, while also being secretly horrified about the fact that he had almost electrocuted them in his sleep.

Who knew, maybe shocking his enemies would come in handy in the near future.)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys; guess who's back from the dead! I hope you enjoyed this work! If you did, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think - I accept from the simplest of reviews to con crit, so unleash thy mind! XD
> 
> I have started University again, so writing will either be binged or else far in between. However, I have a few other prompts I'm currently working on, including a Chicago PD one and a Magnum PI (2018) one.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, nor am I making any profit from this.
> 
> Nothing much to say, so Kudos!
> 
> -Chrisii xx


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